Xbox Going Mobile Is Only a Matter of Time, Says Kim

[Keane Ng]

Xbox Going Mobile Is Only a Matter of Time, Says Kim

Microsoft taking the Xbox experience to a mobile or handheld platform isn't a matter of "if," according to Microsoft's Shane Kim, it's a matter of when.

Just about everyone's taken a dive into the portable end of the gaming hardware swimming pool at this point but Microsoft. Is the company afraid of the water, or just not interested? According to Shane Kim, Microsoft is just waiting for the right time to make its move. A portable Xbox experience happening is just a matter of time.

"For us, it's a matter of focusing on 'when', because if we chased after a mobile or handheld opportunity, we would not have the resources and ability to do things like instant-on 1080p HD, Facebook, Twitter, Project Natal," Kim said.

So the reason why the company has yet to pursue a portable Xbox opportunity is because its priorities are elsewhere. Microsoft, however, will make a shift at some point soon - Kim hinted that the company is "building a service in Live that will... will extend to other platforms."

The question, Kim says, is how Microsoft will enter the market: "Do we do our own device, do we create our own phone - that's a question for the company itself...But believe me, we understand the importance of that device in people's lives."

Kim seems to put more stress on how Microsoft is going to expand the Xbox experience to "all the important platforms in people's lives" rather than explicitly stating that there'll be a portable Xbox at some point, which really makes it sound like a handheld Xbox is just a hypothetical right now, if anything. It could happen, it will probably happen. Personally, I could wait a long time for it to happen - between two handhelds and my iPhone, I have enough gaming to keep me busy on the toilet. Uh, I mean, on the subway.

[Via Kikizo [http://games.kikizo.com/features/shane-kim-interview-july2009-p3.asp]]


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[ohgodalex]

I'm wondering how this handheld console would look and what kind of games it would play. I don't know if I'd like to see developers that need to extend their portable efforts to yet another handheld console. It would be hard to make cross-platform games, due to the differences inherent in the PSPGo, DS, and XboxPocket, so we'd have to deal with more exclusives if this was the case.

Also, portable RroD, anyone?

 

[teutonicman]

If... er when they do make the 360go I wonder if it will have a better durability record than the 360.

 

[hansari]

- between two handhelds and my iPhone, I have enough gaming to keep me busy on the toilet. Uh, I mean, on the subway.

Too right. As if picking consoles wasn't difficult enough, do we really need to create more hand-held gaming devices to add to the confusion?

~~~

Oh and someone has already made a "portable" Xbox360...

http://benheck.com/12-02-2008/new-xbox-360-portable

 

[Alone Disciple]

My guess it will debut or be announced shortly after this holidays version of Zune v3 drops.

 

[Iampringles]

I guess it is inevitable.

I think there is space in the market for this, as long as gamertags, microsoft points, and other such things are transferable.

 

[UsefulPlayer 1]

I just don't want triple AAA spinoffs on these platforms so that you have to buy it for the portable version to have the "full experiences."

 

[Pimppeter2]

pic

Thats actually not a bad idea. I would sure as hell buy it,

Anyway, I don't want them to make 1. Just stick on the consol market. I mean... look at the psp

 

[Pendragon9]

This will sell even worse than the PSP Go. I can tell from here. Trust me, they'll never be able to get a foot into the gaming market. the PSP already covers the perfect portable media device, and the DS already has the games. What could they possibly do?

 

[Low Key]

This will sell even worse than the PSP Go. I can tell from here. Trust me, they'll never be able to get a foot into the gaming market. the PSP already covers the perfect portable media device, and the DS already has the games. What could they possibly do?

If it was priced cheaper than the others, I could see it getting popular. But it is Microsoft we are talking about, and it will probably melt just like the consoles, except on your hands.

 

[Jsnoopy]

This will sell even worse than the PSP Go. I can tell from here. Trust me, they'll never be able to get a foot into the gaming market. the PSP already covers the perfect portable media device, and the DS already has the games. What could they possibly do?

Call me crazy, but maybe they could try to create a device with perfect portable media and all the games?

 

[Trendkill6]

pic

Thats actually not a bad idea. I would sure as hell buy it,

Anyway, I don't want them to make 1. Just stick on the consol market. I mean... look at the psp

Yeah, you just dont mess with portable consoles.
Nintendo has had complete control on that market since the freakin '80s.

And if you dare oppose them they will just release a new Pokemon when your handheld launches and make you feel very silly.

 

[Rigs83]

I can just imagine the headlines:
"Mobile Xbox 360 melts in your hands!"

 

[Rigs83]

This will sell even worse than the PSP Go. I can tell from here. Trust me, they'll never be able to get a foot into the gaming market. the PSP already covers the perfect portable media device, and the DS already has the games. What could they possibly do?

Call me crazy, but maybe they could try to create a device with perfect portable media and all the games?

Or make a device that self destructs on a certain date.
http://www.zuneboards.com/forums/zune-news/38143-cause-zune-30-leapyear-problem-isolated.html

 

[Pendragon9]

This will sell even worse than the PSP Go. I can tell from here. Trust me, they'll never be able to get a foot into the gaming market. the PSP already covers the perfect portable media device, and the DS already has the games. What could they possibly do?

Call me crazy, but maybe they could try to create a device with perfect portable media and all the games?

And when has Microsoft ever actually done that?

I thought so. They're not even good at PCs, which should be their specialty. So don't mind me if I doubt them.

 

[Jsnoopy]

This will sell even worse than the PSP Go. I can tell from here. Trust me, they'll never be able to get a foot into the gaming market. the PSP already covers the perfect portable media device, and the DS already has the games. What could they possibly do?

Call me crazy, but maybe they could try to create a device with perfect portable media and all the games?

And when has Microsoft ever actually done that?

I thought so. They're not even good at PCs, which should be their specialty. So don't mind me if I doubt them.

...uhhh dude, look at the Xbox 360. From my perspective, the Wii has all the games, and the PS3 has the more "super-media device" thing going for it, while the 360 sits in a comfortable middle of the two. Now look at the handhelds. The DS has all the games (and innovative controls, like the wii) while the PSP is more media device oriented. One would assume that the developers at Microsoft could find the same balance that they found in the consoles, and furthermore, that there would be a willing and lucrative market for such a device, if done properly.

EDIT:

This will sell even worse than the PSP Go. I can tell from here. Trust me, they'll never be able to get a foot into the gaming market. the PSP already covers the perfect portable media device, and the DS already has the games. What could they possibly do?

Call me crazy, but maybe they could try to create a device with perfect portable media and all the games?

Or make a device that self destructs on a certain date.
http://www.zuneboards.com/forums/zune-news/38143-cause-zune-30-leapyear-problem-isolated.html

Lol that sounds a lot like typical Microsoft bumbling..... though thats not even that bad considering my previous two ipods never made it past the year and a half points, suspiciously close to just when the warranty on them ran out....

 

[tenlong]

Enough handhelds already!

 

[Goldbling]

This will sell even worse than the PSP Go. I can tell from here. Trust me, they'll never be able to get a foot into the gaming market. the PSP already covers the perfect portable media device, and the DS already has the games. What could they possibly do?

Call me crazy, but maybe they could try to create a device with perfect portable media and all the games?

And when has Microsoft ever actually done that?

I thought so. They're not even good at PCs, which should be their specialty. So don't mind me if I doubt them.

Really? that's why 2/3 of the world owns PC's and not Macs? That's why more games are readily available for PC? That's why people build Gaming PC's that use a Microsoft OS, with a small percentage of Linux users.

 

[hansari]

I just don't want triple AAA spinoffs on these platforms so that you have to buy it for the portable version to have the "full experiences."

I think developers will just keep doing what they have been doing when it comes to portable games: Make "side-story" games that tie-in with the main storyline of a game series, but aren't necessary to enjoy the console games.

They have done it a lot already. With the PSP Splinter Cell game...that Killzone one...I imagine only die hard fans will end up wanting to get them (if they made a Halo spinoff...)